Over Talk

No, I am not a believer in over talking with one's children. I will not lean down and softly ask my sons how they feel about having to stop playing outside and come in for a bath. I don't care. It's bath time.  Maybe my opinion will change as they get older. But, right now, I don't much care about their arguments for whatever it is they want or don't want for that matter. I am a parent, not a friend. Sure, I love New Age thinking and am working on being a mindful thinker/parent. However, sometimes the law is just the law. No room for a five year old to negotiate. He is not the boss. I am! Often times though, he thinks he is in charge. He thinks I "need" to do things and explain things, etc. He's a little attorney in the making, and I don't think it's cute at all.  His toddler brother is already following in his footsteps. I think the world has taught my five and three years olds a sense of entitlement that they have not even come close to earning. It's beyond frustrating.  Nope. I cannot accept this. I don't ever recall my parents explaining much to me. Basically, I obeyed just because. Plain and simple. Yes, that pissed me off and by my teens, I rolled my eyes and almost kinked my neck for good as I expressed my new found attitude. Luckily for everyone involved, that was just a temporary, albeit destructive, stage.

Don't knee jerk a judgement. Hear me out. I absolutely want to know how my son's day was in kindergarten. I want him to feel safe and unconditionally loved. It's imperative I develop open communication with both of my little guys now so that it transfers into the future when the day's events carry much more weight than what Ben, Josh, or Sarah brought in for share-day. Right now at this moment though, he may not have minutes added to his playtime on the iPad. If he argues or gives me his emphatic "no!" as I reach for the iPad, I will be forced to snatch it mid game. Here's the truth, the hardest part about parenting is being consistent. Some days, survival means that he gets five more minutes on the iPad.  Damn, I gave in.  The good news is that he gets to live to see another day though, right?!